Halloween, Horror and the goalie mask

When it comes to quantifying the unique link between Halloween, horror movies and goalie masks, few people are better qualified than Oren Koules.

Koules played in the Western Hockey League in the late 1970s and early ‘80s before two seasons of minor pro; produced and, at the time, owned the Saw horror movie franchise; and co-owned the Tampa Bay Lightning from 2008 to 2010. So, when he reached out on social media in 2020 to share some kind words about another story tying the themes together, we had to ask about that undeniable bond between Halloween, horror and goalie masks.

“I think that kids and adults love to play make believe on that one day a year,” replied Koules, whose time in Tampa Bay included then-Lightning goalies Mike Smith and Olaf Kolzig wearing the Saw-themed masks pictured below and auctioning them off to raise more than $20,000 for charity. “A painted goalie mask is like an alter ego; the designs that the goalies and the painters come up with really shows who the goalies are.”